The Green Leaves Tea Shop: Sean's Secret Brew
by icezer230
Summary: Tendo Nabiki walks into the shop to get some help and gets more than she would ever bargain for.
1. Day 1: Nabiki's Little Problem

"The Green Leaves Tea Shop"   
A Series Written By: icezer230, a.k.a Shu.   
E-mail: icezer230@usa.net (C&C welcome)   
Webpage: http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html   
  
The 'Green Leaves Tea Shop' are a series of stories revolving a certain Tea  
Shop at the edge of Nerima. It's kind of a multi-crossover where each story  
stays distinctively within the boundaries of its own domain. Includes a hefty  
amount of personally-created characters (along with the usual characters of  
the animanga).   
  
Legalities: All the original characters in the Ranma 1/2 universe have been  
created by the great Rumiko Takahashi. (The incomplete version of) Wislawa  
Szymborka's 'View With a Grain of Sand' comes from the book with the same  
name. The rest of the characters, especially the bunch at the Tea Shop, have  
been created by yours truly. If you wish to use any of them in other  
fanfiction or draw fanart, please e-mail me. I would be very interested in  
archiving them. Distribution in archives, etc. is permitted provided that this  
header remains intact.   
  
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SLAP!   
  
*Ow, that stung* Ishikawa Sean thought as he rubbed the injured cheek. It was  
probably red now, but he couldn't see it, so how would he know? He meekly  
lowered his head in shame; he knew he deserved it. The pain of the slap  
didn't...couldn't match the greater pain in his heart. Not by a mile.   
  
"How could you! How could you, Sean? After all this time...Hasn't the time we  
spent together meant anything to you? Anything? I thought...t-that...maybe you  
would be The One for me...B-but...why...why...after all this time...You didn't  
even tell me you were leaving!" the girl in front him said, sobbing  
uncontrollably, collapsing on the grass, letting her tears wet the greenery.   
  
"I'm sorry, Mae," he said, saying the girl's name and yet not really knowing  
what to say, "That it has to end like this...That...I had to say good bye." He  
thought that maybe, just maybe, if he didn't tell her anything, he wouldn't  
have to see her in such agony. Too late for that, it seems.   
  
He approached her, hugging her weeping body to him, feeling his own tears fall  
and wet Mae's top. Then, she looked at him, her eyes pained and full of tears,  
but still the vision of grace and beauty that he had fell for...what was it, 3  
months ago? He could still remember the time he confessed his feelings for  
her, the way she shyly accepted his love, and all the great times they had  
spent together. The pain in his heart magnified tenfold, making his eyes close  
and weep with her. After a time and a silence, she broke the hug.   
  
"I-Is that all you can say? That you're sorry? That this has to be goodbye?"  
she whispered quietly, staring straight into Sean's eyes. He took her hands  
and kissed them.   
  
"I-I'm sorry...I can't do anything about it...My parents...My father...he's  
going back to Japan...My sister...she wants to see it once again...She's set  
on doing law there...I can't-" he began, only to find a finger put to his  
lips.   
  
"-Hush, Sean. Don't try to say anything more. It'll only make our separation  
even harder..." her voice trailed off.   
  
She turned away from him, to view the magnificent sight before them. They were  
on a secluded spot on a hill that overlooked the city, a spot that no one else  
knew but the two of them. They had stumbled upon it only days ago and had  
vowed to come back. It was yesterday that his father had made the announcement  
regarding their return to Japan. He had struggled inwardly with himself,  
wondering whether an effort should be made to try and let him stay back in  
London. But no arguments seemed to come forth from his mouth. He was leaving  
this weekend and-   
  
"...You know...I care a lot for you, don't you?" she said, breaking his  
reverie.   
  
"I know you do. I care for you too, Mae," he replied, wondering where this was  
going.   
  
"I know...But...with you going away, abroad...Will this work?" she asked in a  
faraway voice.   
  
"I...I honestly don't know. I'd like for it to..." he said.   
  
"But...there's always a chance that it doesn't? I know long distance  
relationships are hard to keep...but promise me you won't fall in love with  
another girl? That you'll wait until we get back together?" she asked.   
  
"I-Hey, isn't that my line?" he asked, breaking the seriousness of the  
situation for a second. Both of them chuckled, and then grew serious again.   
  
"Of course," he said.   
  
"And if we DO meet someone we're interested in...we'd...write about it?" she  
asked, with a pained expression. He noticed it instantly. He took her hands  
into his once more.   
  
"Mae. Look at me, Mae. I love you. It hurts me to see you like this. I can't  
lie to you, you know that. That's why...I never planned on telling you. I'd  
thought it would be easier for the both of us...that maybe, if we DON'T see  
each other again...we'd find others...and NOT have to tell each other about  
it," he said.   
  
"I know. But I had to tell you that I knew. I don't like saying good bye,  
but...promise me that you'll write and keep in touch? I hear those Japanese  
girls are so...exotic and beautiful. Especially if they're anything like your  
sister..." she commented darkly. Sean chuckled in reply.   
  
"So, still jealous over my sister, huh? Don't worry. As far as I'm concerned,  
YOU'RE the most beautiful girl in the whole world right now, OK? I'll come  
visit during the holidays...I promise. I'll stay over Gran's place and come  
visit you," he said.   
  
"Promise?"   
  
"Promise."   
  
"Okay. Now that we've gotten that over with, would you like to make up for  
lost time?"   
  
"I can't believe you just said that!" he chuckled, shaking his head in  
disbelief.   
  
"...You know what? Me neither...God, it must be everything coming down to this  
moment-" she said, blushing furiously before being interrupted by a set of  
lips.   
  
Needless to say, it was a long time before they returned to their homes.   
  
  
  
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"Frost fills the sky over Ten Mile Lake,   
Silken threads anxious of youth....   
Looking at the moon and feeling lonely...   
Envious of lovers, not of immortality.   
Envious of love, not of immortality. "   
--Excerpt from the movie 'A Chinese Ghost Story'   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
SEAN'S SECRET BREW  
Day One: Nabiki's Little Problem   
  
"...Ai...rehuto..mai haato...ino san huranshisuko?" Nabiki pronounced, ever so  
slowly, ever so carefully. There was...a strange, uneasy silence. After she  
had finished her reading, she sat back down, not daring to look at anyone  
else; they were too busy staring in wonder at her 'abilities' and too scared  
to say a peep. Not even the teacher said anything. After a long silence, he  
sighed.   
  
"Tendo-san...Would you see me in my office after school?" he asked, in a  
pitying voice.   
  
"Hai, sensei," was her automatic response. Inside, however, her emotions were  
in turmoil. A mix of anger and shame clouded her face. Wasn't that how one  
said 'I left my heart in San Francisco' in English? She clenched her fists,  
not knowing what to do. It was the first time she would actually be asked to  
stay behind...in ANY class. Tendo Nabiki? Staying behind? Unheard of. She  
would have to make this matter a secret...and get the rest of the class to  
'reason' to her way of thinking.   
  
And when it came time to talk with him, sensei Himada, she was even more  
jittery.   
  
"Come in and sit down, Tendo-san...Right, now. If you intend to go to take the  
Tokyo University examinations next semester like you intended earlier on this  
year, you will have to improve your English-speaking abilities...greatly.  
Right now...I'm afraid...your pronounciation is...shall we  
say...'elementary'?" he added, trying not to offend her. But she was crushed.  
After a few moments, she quietly asked him another question.   
  
"...And...my reading and writing?"   
  
"They...seem to...need...work as well," he tried his best effort to conceal  
his frustration in front of the girl. Her writing and reading were only a tad  
bit better than her pronounciation. If she wanted to get into Tokyo University  
(exclusive, private, and top business school=Nabiki's very own ambition),  
she'd have to get _a lot_ of help. And while he was known in Furinkan to be a  
very strict teacher, he didn't wish one of the most promising students of  
Furinkan to fail.   
  
He had spent the better part of a day trying to think of a way to suggest to  
her that she would need a tutor. He prayed that the method he chose was the  
right one. Or else, he might lose his house...and more. By the look of his  
student (a long sad face), it didn't look like it would turn out the way he  
wanted already. And so, he started with his carefully chosen path: the  
guidance counselor one. Almost always works, so he was crossing his fingers on  
this one.   
  
"Look. You're a brilliant student; I know that; hell, everyone knows that. You  
have impeccable business skills. Learning English would not only allow you to  
advance educationally by entering the top Japanese University, but you would  
also gain the skills that you would need in future business environments. I'm  
certain of it.   
  
Now, Tendo-san, I'm proposing something to you that might earn you a passing  
mark, depending on how you do after a time. An acquaintance of mine by the  
name of Ishikawa has recently moved to Nerima from London. His English, sadly  
enough, isn't the greatest, despite his overseas venture, but the rest of his  
family speak the language perfectly.   
  
I'll leave you their address should you decide to seek their assistance in  
this matter. I assure you that it will be in your best interest that you do  
so. I'll talk to him after you leave about arranging to help you in your  
difficulties. Perhaps a little one-on-one would help you focus. Here it  
is...I'll see your progress in say, 2 weeks? If you do not seem to have made  
any progress, I'm afraid I will have to talk to your counselor regarding your  
decision to take the Tokyo University entrance exam in December..."   
  
Nabiki's mind zoned out after this, and inwardly she panicked. 'What! How  
could he do this? Could this be true? My dreams, shattered, because of one  
miserable class!' When her mind fumbled through this information for a while  
and recovered, this was what she heard.   
  
"...Good day, Tendo-san. You are dismissed," Himada sensei said coolly, giving  
a slip of paper to her, the one on which he had written a phone-number down.  
She took it hesitantly.   
  
She rose and gave a little bow to him. He nodded. She turned and walked away,  
closing the office door behind her. She let out a sigh and looked at the  
writing on the slip of paper. It was somewhere in the increasingly-fashionable  
area of Nerima (which was at the edge, between several other neighboring  
districts). Fortunately, she didn't hear the big sigh coming from inside the  
room, coming from Himada sensei.   
  
She wondered how it would all turn out. All in all, she had to keep quiet  
about what she would be doing from the Tendo household. Her father would be in  
tears again, and would never let her try for Tokyo University. It was so  
expensive, the exam, and it would only stretch her family's budget just even  
trying to manage her tuition. She _had_ to do well on the exam and get a  
scholarship. That was the only way she could get her own costs out of her  
family's budget. It was trying enough as it is, with two free-loaders like  
Ranma-kun and his father.   
  
Sensing that she would need some more time to figure out how she would  
proceed, she decided to go to the nearby park. She knew a great spot there,  
under a large tree just overlooking the water, where the occupant was nearly  
invisible and was always kept cool by the ever-present breeze. That was where  
she thought out of most of her troubles nowadays.   
  
Maybe she'd succeed in working this one out today.   
  
*****   
  
VIEW WITH A GRAIN OF SAND   
By Wislawa Szymborska (winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize for Literature)   
  
We call it a grain of sand,   
but it calls itself neither grain nor sand.   
It does just fine without a name,   
whether general, particular,   
permanent, passing,   
incorrect, or apt.   
  
"Sean! Look! There's that girl again, you know, the one who keeps staring into  
the lake? This is what, the third time in a row we've seen her doing that?" a  
deep manly voice asked.   
  
Our glance, our touch mean nothing to it.   
It doesn't feel itself seen and touched.   
And that it fell on the windowsill   
  
"Sean!"   
  
"Huh? Oh. Yeah."   
  
is only our experience, not its.   
For it, it is no different from falling on anything else   
with no assurance that it has finished falling   
or that it is falling still.   
  
"She's cute. You ever wonder why she does that? She looks so sad while she's  
doing it, too."   
  
The window has a wonderful view of a lake,   
but the view doesn't view itself.   
It exists in this world   
colorless, shapeless   
soundless, odorless, and painless.   
  
"Uh..."   
  
The lake's floor exists floorlessly,   
and its shore exists shorelessly.   
Its water feels itself neither wet nor dry   
and it waves to themselve are neither singular nor plural.   
They splash deaf to their own noise   
on pebbles neither large nor small.   
  
"Sean! Stop trying to read while you walk and look at me while I talk, will  
you?"   
  
And all this beneath a sky by nature skyless   
in which the sun sets without setting at all   
and hides without hiding behind an unminding clud.   
The wind ruffles it, its only reason being   
that it blows.   
  
"Sean! Watch out!"   
  
A second passes.   
A second second.   
A third.   
  
"Awk!" Sean yelped as he suddenly noticed there was no ground beneath his  
feet.   
  
SPLASH~!   
  
"Sean, are you all right? Damn, you're all wet!" the manly voice remarked,  
chuckling.   
  
Sean also heard loud giggle close by. He saw a girl with brown hair styled  
into a bob, wearing the local high school uniform, sitting underneath a tree.  
Their eyes locked on. *Wow...she's got the most beautiful brown eyes I've ever  
seen...although...they seem to be a little red and puffy...* Suddenly, Sean  
looked away, blushing furiously. He had a _girlfriend_, damnit! He wasn't  
supposed to feel like this towards anyone else! The girl, on the other hand,  
found herself staring into the clearest blue eyes she had ever seen, and lost  
herself in that gaze. Then, the gaijin looked away.   
  
"Hey man, are you blushing?" the manly voice teased after he noticed best  
friend's reaction.   
  
"I am not! Damn it Tokuo, why didn't you warn me!" he roared.   
  
"Well excuuuuse me Mr. I-want-to-read-this-poetry-book, I did! It wasn't my  
fault you weren't paying attention!"   
  
Sean looked towards where the girl was, but she wasn't there. He sighed.  
*Damn. I just ruined my first impression* Sean thought, and pulled off his wet  
T-shirt to wring it out. He sneezed. *Now I've got the flu.*   
  
"Hurry up or we'll be late for our shift," Tokuo said, kneeling down before  
him.   
  
"You're not the one who's got wet clothes!"   
  
"Well, I'm not the one who just walked into the lake because he was reading a  
book! Oh. Here's your book--it survived the big splash. Not a drop on it,"  
Tokuo said, lifting the mentioned item and dangling it in front of Sean. Sean  
scowled as he grabbed it. Then he rose and started to run, turning only to  
make a face at Tokuo, sticking his tongue out.   
  
"Hey! That's not fair! Wait for me!" Tokuo shouted, running after him.   
  
*****   
  
She couldn't stop laughing after she had left her spot in the park, so tears  
actually ran down her face for the first time in this manner. *It was amazing!  
How could a person be such a baka! I mean, really!* she thought as she  
proceeded to wipe her tears with her handkerchief, trying to make her way back  
to the dojo, but not successfully as she would remember the incident time and  
time again, catching the look of stupidity on the person's face. *And what a  
face that was*, Nabiki mused. *Not bad looking, for a gaijin.*   
  
"Yo Nabiki, whatcha crying for?" a familiar female voice asked noncomittally,  
interrupted her thoughts.   
  
"It's nothing, Saotome. Nothing you'd understand," she said, cracking up once  
more.   
  
"Sometimes I wonder about you, Nabiki...But you know what, you Tendos do look  
cuter when you smile," the figure in front of her said before dissappearing  
from sight by leaping to the rooftop of a nearby house.   
  
What Ranma-kun said made Nabiki think. *Was he trying to complement me or was  
that a lame come-on? I never knew he had it in him. But coming-on to his  
fiancee's sister...* she thought. She hit herself on the head for thinking too  
much and proceeded to the dojo once more, her mind now clear. She would call  
for help and get her deserved A for working so hard. Then, she'd take her  
college exams and get into Tokyo University. She sighed. *Anything to get away  
from this madhouse* she thought as she gazed upon the compound ahead of her.  
After a moment of contemplation, she went on.   
  
"Tadaima!" she called out as she disappeared into the prefecture, closing the  
door behind her.   
  
*****   
  
"Ding ding ding!" the doorbell chimed.   
  
"Welcome to the Green Leaves Tea Shop! How may I help you?" Sean called out  
the customary greeting as he turned from his position of wiping the surface of  
a coffee table...to see the girl who had giggled at his...unfortunate accident  
yesterday afternoon.   
  
"...I-" both of them started, and then paused. Both of them blushed, not  
knowing what to say. Sean, deciding to break the silence, gestured Nabiki to  
come in the shop and to have a seat, before whipping out a menu and an order  
pad and pen.   
  
"What would you like?" he asked, trying to keep his tone even, although  
failing rather miserably. He cleared his throat.   
  
"A video of what happened yesterday," the girl retorted, giving him a sly  
smile that both unnerved him and made him blush. *What are you doing! Stop it!  
Okay, calm down and get right into business. You can do it. Come on...* her  
inner self said.   
  
"I'm afraid the shop doesn't-" he started, before being interrupted by the  
girl.   
  
"I'm looking for Ishikawa-san. Is she available?" she said in a business-like  
tone.   
  
"I'm afraid mum's not available right now; she's out with the suppliers and  
probably won't be back 'till late this evening. You're welcome to stay and  
have a drink on the house if you have no other plans..." he said, trailing  
off.   
  
Nabiki raised an eyebrow and smiled secretively. *Damn did that sound like a  
come-on? Mae, forgive me, but I didn't mean to do that on purpose!* he  
thought. None of them seemed to notice Tokuo, who had been swarmed by girls  
(as usual) and looked over to see what was the matter, and smiled when he saw  
the two. He came over (with a few girls tagging along, eager to be with him no  
matter where he was) and decided to make his presence apparent.   
  
"Well look who's here! Hi, aren't you that girl by the lake the other day?  
Welcome to the Green Leaves Tea Shop! My name is Takeda Tokuo. This klutz  
here's Ishikawa Sean. And you are...?" Tokuo asked, taking the lead in  
introducing themselves. The girls by him protested, shouting 'Takeda-san,' and  
eyeing Nabiki as if she was their greatest enemy even though they had only  
met. Nabiki seemed to look at the girls' reaction with an interested glint in  
her eye (and if you know Nabiki, you'd know that she had been thinking of  
doing some photo-selling of this new guy already!).   
  
"Tendo Nabiki," she replied confidently.   
  
"Tendo-san? Ah. I see. So you're the one Mum was talking about. Well, it seems  
Mum's handed the task to me, since she's pretty busy with the shop and all,  
and my sister's occupied with her studies for her upcoming exams...So, how can  
I help you?" Sean asked, realizing that she was the one who asked for help.   
  
"Um...can we talk about this in private?" Nabiki asked, looking at the many  
girls who hung around Tokuo.   
  
"Of course. Come with me to the bar and I'll make you something for your  
throat," he replied.   
  
"Nice to meet you, Tendo-san. I hope you have a good time here; you're in good  
hands with Sean. I've got to go back to work, all right?" Tokuo said, giving  
her a dashing smile and pose as he turned to go.   
  
[Author's note: it is similar to the pose Kuno has when he has the flower in  
his mouth and tries to woo either Akane and Ranma in his girl form but, of  
course, more elegantly performed ^^;]   
  
The swarm of girls followed him thereafter. Murmurs of "Takeda-kun!"  
"Takeda-sama" and "Takeda-san" could be heard following him wherever he went.  
Sean could only laugh weakly at the sight. He looked towards Nabiki, who still  
had that amused expression on her face. Almost...calculating? He shrugged at  
the thought.   
  
"My throat?" Nabiki asked as she followed him to the bar, wondering how he  
could have known she had a sore throat since she had only met him for a few  
moments.   
  
"You didn't sound...like you did the first time, so I'm assuming you have a  
bit of a throat problem, am I right?" Sean asked, and continued, "Here, why  
don't I make you something that will make your voice better while I see  
whether I can find what your sister wanted," Sean said as he started to mix  
several ingridients together. Within a few minutes, a cup of tea was served.  
Nabiki seemed troubled.   
  
"How do you know my sister?" she asked, surprised that he knew.   
  
"I sort of made the connection between the name 'Tendo.' There's only one  
Tendo family around in Nerima, or so your sister said. She comes in and has  
chats with mum all the time. I'm surprised you didn't know this. Anyway, she  
ordered a package of tea, something of a calmer at that. Things must get  
pretty rowdy where you are if she's ordering this," Sean replied, taking out  
from under the counter a package with 'Tendo Kasumi' labelled on top. Nabiki  
nodded.   
  
"Oh yes, I suppose you might say our family can get pretty rowdy sometimes. I  
suppose my sister's told you about how uh...peculiar our family is," Nabiki  
said, chuckling before taking a sip of the tea. *I just bet they don't know  
just _how_ rowdy* she thought. The tea had a peculiar taste and one which  
created a strange tingle in her throat. She frowned.   
  
"Anything wrong?" Sean asked.   
  
"No...It's just that my voice is back to normal," Nabiki replied. Sean  
chuckled in response.   
  
"What, you never had that kind of effect from drinking tea with honey and  
lemon?" Sean asked.   
  
"Actually, I never drink anything but ocha and the stuff Kasumi  
makes...Um...listen, could you do me a favor? I don't want her to know that  
I'm getting help from you, since she thinks I'm at the top of my class in all  
of my subjects," Nabiki replied, a little hesitantly.   
  
"Um...sure, but where should we meet if I'm supposed to help you with your  
English?" he asked. "Your sister comes in nearly every day, and I'm surprised  
she didn't come in today."   
  
"Oh, she's caught a bit of the flu today so she couldn't go out. I had to take  
care of the groceries today...and I'm eating out tonight. Um...say, why don't  
we meet at the park everyday after school, where we first met? I'm sure  
that'll be the perfect spot to study in. It's pretty quiet over there," she  
replied.   
  
"You're right, the shade of that tree looked pretty nice compared to the  
blaring sun...Say, since you're going out to eat tonight, do you mind if you  
come in? We've got a band playing tonight and I thought you might like the  
sound," Sean said haltingly.   
  
"Are you asking me out on a date, Ishikawa?" Nabiki asked, raising her eyebrow  
once more and giving one of her smiles. Sean instantly blushed.   
  
"Er...of course not. I just thought-" he mumbled.   
  
"Of course. I'll bring a few of my friends and come after we see our movie,"  
she replied, amused at how he was squirming like a worm at the slightest  
provocation. *So similar to Ranma-kun, except that this is so much more fun*  
she thought.   
  
*****   
'Till next time, au revoir!   
  
FOOTNOTES   
  
The first part was emotionally exhausting for me to write, mostly because it  
was...something I've never tried writing before. But don't get me wrong, it  
was really fun too! Thanks for staying with me 'till the end. Hope to see you  
next time. Well then, I'll just start with listing the obligatory kudos list  
then, eh?:   
  
Kudos to pre-readers CH, Feir, and Brett. Without them, this piece would not  
be as it is today. Thank you, Annie and the rest of my fans, for egging me on  
or else I'd never finish this.   
  
Shoujo-ai influences: Yukari Kawachi, Michiyo Akaishi, Suzue Miuchi, Ryo  
Takase, Fumika Okano ('Furutsu Kazu 100%'), Ushijima Keiko, Kyoko Hikawa, Yuki  
Suetsugu...and so many more. May their work be immortalized by endless praise.  



	2. Day 2: Nabiki Makes Her Move

"The Green Leaves Tea Shop"   
A Series Written By: icezer230, a.k.a Shu.   
E-mail: icezer230@usa.net (C&C welcome)   
Webpage: http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html   
  
The 'Green Leaves Tea Shop' are a series of stories revolving a certain Tea  
Shop at the edge of Nerima. It's kind of a multi-crossover where each story  
stays distinctively within the boundaries of its own domain. Includes a hefty  
amount of personally-created characters (along with the usual characters of  
the animanga).   
  
Legalities: All the original characters in the Ranma 1/2 universe have been  
created by the great Rumiko Takahashi. The rest of the characters, especially  
the bunch at the Tea Shop, have been created by yours truly. If you wish to  
use any of them in other fanfiction or draw fanart, please e-mail me. I would  
be very interested in archiving them. Distribution in archives, etc. is  
permitted provided that this header remains intact.   
  
*****  
  
What happened the last time...   
Nabiki needs help with English in order to be able to get into the  
ever-prestigious Tokyo University and turns to the Ishikawa family under the  
recommendation of her sensei. But one particular member of that family causes  
an...'interesting' reaction that juuuust might lead to...other things, if you  
get my meaning. ^_^; But for now, he's just her English tutor.   
  
*****  
  
"{You're late}," Sean remarked from under the tree as he watched Tendo Nabiki  
approach, still in her Furinkan High uniform.   
  
"Ai...so sohri?" Nabiki replied hesitantly.   
  
"Actually, it should be {I'm so sorry. But that's all right, you'll get the  
hang of it soon. So, how was your day?}" Sean asked.   
  
[Author's Note: From this point forward I can't be bothered into writing all  
Nabiki's bad Japanese pronounciations of English so...just use your  
imagination ^^;]   
  
"{Day very...good? Make yen lots}," Nabiki replied, smiling. She had just  
arrived from a...business meeting with Kuno-chan. It had been regarding  
several...indecently provocative pictures of 'the pig-tailed girl', as well  
more work-out pictures of her sister, Akane.   
  
"{I see we're going to have to work hard on this if we're going to show Himada  
Sensei something by the end of two weeks...But that's not the point. You've  
already improved quite considerably. I hope you've been watching those movies  
and sleeping on those tapes? They're quite good for seeing how people  
pronounce certain letters in English...}" Sean remarked.   
  
"{Sorry I no understand what Sean talk}" Nabiki replied, wondering what he had  
just said. *Gosh, he speaks so fast! I'll never get the hang of this!*   
  
"Oh. Um...I was just wondering if you did what I asked you to do," Sean said,  
giving up.   
  
"Oh yes, they were...informative. At least, er...until my sister came into my  
room and 'borrowed' my walkman," Nabiki lied, hoping that Sean would buy it.  
*I don't think he'd buy the explanation where Ranma, Akane, and Ryoga's (or  
should that be P-chan?) fighting ended up in her room, disrupting her beauty  
sleep, and somehow creating a nice big hole in the wall so the breeze could  
come in (creating somewhat of a 'natural' air-conditioner, and destroying her  
walkman in the process (among other things).   
  
Needless to say, it was a busy night.   
  
"Oh, you should have told me. I've got one I can lend you for now," Sean said,  
handing her his.   
  
"{Thunk you}," Nabiki said. Sean hoped that she wouldn't notice the sweat drop  
behind his head as she said this. *I can tell that it's going to take a  
looooot of work...* he thought, sighing inwardly.   
  
*****  
  
SEAN'S SECRET BREW  
Day Two: Nabiki Makes Her Move   
  
"Anyway, how did you enjoy last night's performance?" Sean asked much later  
when they took a little break.   
  
"I did not know you had such talented friends and family. I really loved it.  
When will they be on again? I might persuade more of my schoolmates to  
come...provided there is..." Nabiki left the sentence empty, hoping Sean got  
the hint.   
  
"Huh?" Sean made out. He suddenly noticed how close she was to him. He  
swallowed a mouthful of spit that mysteriously accumulated all at once. He  
gave a weak smile.   
  
"...Enough incentive..." she drawled, leaning ever. so. close.   
  
"{Yikes, look at the time!}" he exclaimed without realizing what language he  
was speaking (he tended to speak in English when he was nervous), looking at  
his wristwatch. *Shit, I'm late! Tokuo will kill me! Mom'll-* "{I-I gotta go!  
I-I'll see you tomorrow, same time, same place! Ah...Bye!}"   
  
With that, he vanished from her sight with full speed ahead.   
  
"Drat," she said, looking at the direction he had gone with an unreadable  
expression on her face.   
  
*****   
  
"Mae..." *sigh* "...What am I supposed to do?" Sean asked to the ceiling as he  
contemplated his day. It wasn't right, his attraction, and how he reacted  
around her (OK, so he was human...but that's not the point!). He had a  
girlfriend, damnit, and he promised that he would stay loyal to her...   
  
FLASHBACK   
  
"And if we DO meet someone we're interested in...we'd...write about it?" Mae  
had asked him.   
  
END FLASHBACK   
  
"...I think it's...time that I wrote," Sean said. *But it doesn't mean that  
I'm breaking up with her* he added as an afterthought. He turned to his laptop  
and flipped it on. As the Windows 2000 startup screen flashed in front of his  
eyes, he was lost in thought of what he would tell her. It had been only what,  
2 days since he had last e-mailed her? And now...he was confused. More  
confused than he thought he'd be, actually.   
  
She would have the answers. Hopefully.   
  
The desktop appeared, revealing a picture of him and Mae posing before Madam  
Tussaud's last summer, with him hugging her from behind. They had a really  
great time there, he remembered, and it had hurt the both of them even worse  
when he had to come back to Japan. It was as if a part of him was still in  
London, even now.   
  
He moved the cursor over to the dial-up button and listened as the internal  
modem checked his dial-tone and then called the server. As the sounds of  
whirring continued, he focused his gaze on the ring he had given her, as a  
token of his affection, on her finger in that picture. Then, his attention was  
riveted back as the dial-up screen vanished to its corner. He clicked on the  
browser button and logged onto his e-mail account.   
  
There, there was a message from her, dated today. He moved the cursor to the  
link and clicked it. The expression on his face was unreadable as he read it,  
and he was silent for a moment before he shut down the computer and got ready  
to sleep.   
  
*****   
  
"Kasumi, if a guy you tried to kiss runs away, what does that mean?" Nabiki  
asked idly when she entered the kitchen and found her sister there. She had  
forgotten to give her sister the package of tea from yesterday (after all,  
Sean DID tell her that Kasumi had ordered it) and took the oppportunity to ask  
a simple and yet delicate question about relationships. Kasumi, upon hearing  
the question and looked at Nabiki strangely.   
  
"Uh...the sauce? Kasumi? The sauce?" Nabiki gestured towards her hand. The  
soya sauce Kasumi had been holding had darkened the dish so that it was hardly  
recognizable. Kasumi instantly snapped out of her daydream and panicked,  
remedying the dish with her usual culinary genius (a pinch of this, a drop of  
that, etc). Nabiki chuckled; it was a rare thing, seeing Kasumi so...caught  
unaware like this. *Of course, there _was_ that time when Akane came back with  
her hair cut. But that was a long time ago*, she thought.   
  
"...Oh my, Nabiki-chan. Um..." Kasumi said, visibly struggling to come to grip  
with what Nabiki had asked. She continued, "Could you wait until I finish  
this?"   
  
*Uh oh* Nabiki thought quickly, sensing doomsday approaching. *If she stalls,  
that means she's going to go into a looong speech about relationships between  
a guy and a girl. Think, girl, think. You've GOT to get yourself out of this  
mess.*   
  
"Uh...that won't be necessary, onee-chan-" she said, before being disrupted by  
long-by-now familiar sound of a large wall being obliterated and a tell-tale  
"Nihao!"   
  
"Oh my, it sounds like Shampoo has come to visit again. I really wish she  
would come in the normal way..." Kasumi trailed off, going back to her  
cooking, as if forgetting all about Nabiki's question. Nabiki, sensing that  
this was her way out, left the kitchen quietly, to see the chaos magnify for a  
moment with a loud resounding "SLAP!", accompanied by a loud "BAKA!" and the  
equally familiar created by the impact of Ranma's body with the ceiling. She  
sighed and shook her head, going back into her room. *I wonder if we have  
enough in the emergency budget to fix it...* she thought, her mind shifting to  
her usual normal self.   
  
Back to business.   
  
*****   
  
Later that night, it seemed the Kasumi _hadn't_ forgotten their little  
escapade in the kitchen, and had dragged Nabiki into her room for an  
inevitably long heart-to-heart, sister-to-sister talk. But it was unlike what  
Nabiki had ever expected. She had expected Kasumi going into the mother-mode,  
but it seemed that Kasumi had other plans. Once again, a rare thing.   
  
"So, who is it?" Kasumi asked eagerly.   
  
"...Well..." Nabiki hesitated. *Should I really tell her? I mean, she knows  
them pretty well, and I only know them for what, a day or two?* she thought.  
But further thoughts would be interrupted by the entrance of Akane. The two  
sisters looked onto the third, youngest Tendo child and wondered what she  
wanted.   
  
"Hey, there you are, Kasumi. I was looking all over for you. I was wondering  
whether I could try cooking tonight?" she asked. Then, she noticed them  
staring at her.   
  
"What? Hey, what's this about? Why are the two of you staring at me like I  
walked on a big secret? What's going on?" she continued. Nabiki was about to  
explain in her usual tactful manner when she was cut off by Kasumi.   
  
"Nabiki's got a boyfriend!" she blurted as if it was the most important news  
since the last time Akane was kidnapped, making Nabiki blush and wave her  
hands in a frantic 'no, he's not!' motion and Akane grin maniacally and close  
the door behind her before she sat down next to them. It was clear that she  
was definitely not going to miss out on the action.   
  
"So who is he?" Akane asked, echoing the earlier question of her eldest  
sister. Nabiki, now furiously blushing, looked very much the cornered prey.  
She looked left and right for some desperate opportunity to escape, but it  
seems that fate wasn't on her side this time.   
  
"Come on, Nabiki. We won't bite," Kasumi replied, also quite eager to find  
out.   
  
"Yeah...although, with him around, we won't know if _you_ will," Akane teased.  
Nabiki, who had lost some of her embarrassment, returned with a full blush.   
  
"It's...nothing, really..." Nabiki stammered for the first time in her life.  
She had an arm behind her head as if feeling more than a little embarrassed  
and wasn't looking at any of her sisters.   
  
"Come on now, what's this about him running away after you tried to kiss him?"  
Kasumi asked. Another secret revealed, in the usual Kasumi manner. Just great.  
*Oh God...* she sighed. *If this isn't hell...*   
  
"Oh my god, Nabiki, you tried to kiss him? Gosh, and I thought this might have  
been another one of those money-making schemes of yours," Akane commented  
shamelessly, before putting a hand to her mouth, realizing that she had just  
put her foot in her mouth. "Oops."   
  
As Kasumi admonished Akane's behavior, Nabiki could feel the blow to her ego  
with a nonexistent rock on her head (ie, she facefaulted) hit her further than  
it would have normally. Why is that, she had no idea, but in the matters of  
HER OWN love and affection her cold mercenary attitude seemed a little out of  
place. Her own sister, admonishing her! But she couldn't blame her,  
considering the way she had behaving lately.   
  
"Hey, you know what? You move pretty fast, Nabiki. Even Ranma and I haven't  
really gotten anywhere at this stage...I mean, how long have you known him? I  
haven't even heard you say anything about him before," Akane said. Kasumi  
elbowed her in another rare gesture of sisterly admonishment.   
  
"Two days," she choked. Then, a thought came to her, *How come I never thought  
about how fast I was going before?* It was another blow to her ego; Where had  
her famed self-control been when Sean was around; thrown out of the window?  
Even though she had been in her teasing mode when she had made her move,  
well...it seemed that all that mattered to her was knowing how he felt about  
her. How he would have responded to her advances. *God, please let this  
interrogation end now!* she screamed inside her head. But no, that would not  
be the case.   
  
"Well, don't keep us in suspense. Who is it?" Kasumi asked again.   
  
Nabiki sighed, giving up. It was better to tell them everything than nothing  
at all. She crossed her fingers, just in case her gut feeling to reveal  
everything was wrong. But no, she would not tell them about how she needed  
help with her English.   
  
She would tell them...a slightly 'altered' version where she had stumbled upon  
this coffee-shop yesterday and had met an interesting and charming person who  
just happened to be a little older and her type, and how he just happened to  
know Kasumi, and how they had spent the afternoon together in romantic bliss -  
*Yeah right, only in a shoujo manga* she added as an afterthought - when she  
tried making her move, and the tragedy that happened afterwards.   
  
*****   
  
"It sounds to me that he's just really shy. You know, unable to show his  
feelings. That kind of thing. Like Ranma," Akane replied. "You should give him  
some time to make up his mind as to how he feels about you."   
  
"If I waited like the two of you, I'd be dead before I ever got the chance or  
the guts to kiss each other," Nabiki retorted.   
  
"Who ever said we ever wanted to kiss each other!? That selfish baka of a  
half-man!" Akane roared in her usual denial of the matter.   
  
"Akane," Kasumi chided once more.   
  
"You forgot to say pervert...why is that, I wonder?" Nabiki asked, a bit  
surprised at this small but important change. It was now Akane's turn to  
blush.   
  
"It's nothing! I-I...just think that...we've had some misunderstandings in the  
past!" Akane struggled, not really knowing what she just said.   
  
"It looks to me, sis, that you've just realized that your fiance is not as bad  
as you think he is...When should we plan the wedding for? That reminds me, I'd  
better start saving some yen for that-Whoa! Time for me to get out of here  
before this turns into a homicide!" Nabiki said, now back to her teasing mode,  
getting out of the room just before Akane could hit her with a pillow. The  
pillow thudded harmlessly against the door, however, and the two sisters were  
left with a strange awkward silence.   
  
"Do you think she's serious?" Akane asked to her eldest sister, trying to  
comprehend everything she had just heard.   
  
"Have you ever known a time when she had not thought about her actions and had  
her own motives for revealing certain things beforehand? If she's told us this  
much, I do believe she's serious," Kasumi mused.   
  
"Then...are we in trouble?" Akane asked hesitantly.   
  
"Well, as long as this Sean person doesn't uh...create any problems or find  
any flaws within our sister it should be all right...Well, we should proceed  
with caution, just to be sure. Are you with me, sister?" Kasumi asked with a  
small smile.   
  
"When have I _not_ been with you?" Akane teased and they both chuckled at the  
need and the thought for a little sister bonding. First, they'd find out  
everything they could about him, his family, and whether or not he was worthy  
of her affections. And since Kasumi already knew a bit about him, he seemed as  
good a candidate for their sister as any.   
  
*****   
  
"Sean, honey, what are you doing up in the middle of the night like this?"  
Phylicia, Sean's mother had asked, finding her son wide awake and behind the  
bar, creating something that she was not familiar with at all. She had gotten  
up from her bed with a sudden urge to go to the washroom when she noticed the  
light coming from downstairs, the area where the store was.   
  
"I couldn't sleep, mum. That's all," he said, his back turned to her.   
  
"Well, don't keep this up every night. You've got class tomorrow," she said,  
before disappearing at the top of the stairs. After she had left, Sean turned  
towards where she had stood and sighed before going back to work.   
  
"Mae..." he whispered to himself, with a faraway look into his eyes. Then, his  
eyes cleared and he now worked with a new intensity, into the long night.   
  
*****   
  
Nabiki had her headphones on that night (yes, she got a new walkman); instead  
of listening to her usual j-pop, she had on the English tapes that Sean had  
recommended her to use in the matters of pronouncation. But her mind was  
faaaar, faaaar beyond listening what the tape was saying. Instead, her  
concentration was on the male figure of Sean. His curves (yeah, baby!). His  
smile. How nice he was. That sort of thing. And did he have a girlfriend? Guys  
that nice nearly always had a girlfriend; after all, the good ones are always  
taken. But there's always that one chance that he wasn't.   
  
"{Yukiko-san, do you know where the bank is? I would like to exchange my  
British Pounds into Japanese yen!}" a male voice blurted into her ear,  
speaking perfect British English. A female voice replied, "{Of course,  
Alexander-san, I would be glad to help you. It's-}"   
  
So far was she gone, she didn't even notice the loud familiar noise of the  
wall being bashed (again). No, she was far too gone to even notice the  
ever-present "Ranma, die!" line, and the crashes that followed. No, she was  
far too gone. She didn't even blink when her door was opened and two figures,  
seemingly too fast to follow with the naked eye, jumped in and out again; one  
of them threw sharp objects from seemingly nowhere in many directions (almost  
blindlessly *hint hint*), one heading directly straight at her. Fortunately,  
it narrowly missed hitting her head by a hair's width. But she was too far in  
her thoughts to think about what was around her.   
  
It was only until her father, with his 'demon head persona,' came into her  
room, looking for Ranma so he could pressure him into marrying Akane, that she  
actually snapped out of it.   
  
"Daaad! Can't you respect a girl's need for privacy?" she complained.   
  
"Sorry, Nabiki," Soun's head deflated a bit to get out of her room and  
inflated again in the hallway to look for his future son-in-law. Moments  
later, after the familiar sounds of the roof being broken in (again), she  
sighed and went back to her tape, only to realize that she had no idea what  
she had been listening to, and that the tape had run out a looong time ago.   
  
"Uh oh. Does this mean I have to listen to this side again?" she asked  
herself, moaning to herself. Then, she rewound the tape to the beginning and  
played it once more.   
  
"{Lesson 1: Arriving at the Airport...}" a contralto voice began.   
  
She sighed once more, her thoughts drifting in and out of the lesson. When the  
tape finished, she was in a deep sleep, not even bothering to turn out the  
light.   
  
*****   
'Till next time, au revoir!   
  
FOOTNOTES   
Kudos to CH, who encouraged me to continue writing this; Feir, as always, for  
always-needed C last but not least, you, of course, for continuing to  
support me by reading this. I've only mentioned Ryoga and Mousse passingly in  
this chapter (both wrecking Nabiki's room somewhat), not because I don't like  
them (don't get me wrong!), but because I wanted to see whether my  
descriptions of their actions allow the reader to guess who they are. Hope you  
got it.   
  
Anyway, things heat up even more in the next chapter as I reveal what Sean's  
doing and what was in that e-mail he had been reading. And, how are those two  
going to act in their next meeting?   
  
Stay tuned, same website, same author, for Day 3 of Sean's Secret Brew: When  
It Rains, It Pours...   
  
  



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